Birthright
by tea-is-liquid-wisdom
Summary: Nate Walker is back, and now he's only after one thing: Spencer. Can the team protect the genius, or will they fail a second time? Sequel to "Born to Die".
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, everyone. So, here it is: the Born to Die sequel. Many people wanted a sequel and I came up with a plan and I've decided to put it into action.**

**If you haven't read "Born to Die", I'd recommend you do as you won't understand what is going on here.**

**The title of this story comes from the wonderful Graysonation. She was helping me out with titles and came up with this brilliant one. If you haven't checked out her stories, I highly recommend you do; they're fantastic.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own, and probably never will own the beauty that is _Criminal Minds._**

**Enjoy, and, though reviews aren't needed, they are greatly appreciated.**

* * *

Hotch looked down at his pocket when his cellphone started vibrating, indicating he had a call. He sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out his cell; 'Strauss', it read.

"Hotchner," the unit chief answered.

"_Agent Hotchner… Aaron,"_ Strauss replied. Hotch swallowed; the use of his first name told him that this was not going to be a pleasant phone call. _"I just found out in the hour, and I wanted to tell you first…"_

Hotch had to stifle a small, uncharacteristic gasp at what the section chief just told him. How could this be? How could they let this happen?

"_I thought, as you are his unit chief, that you should be the one to tell Agent Reid, and the rest of your team,"_ Strauss informed him. Hotch nodded, even though he knew that the woman couldn't see him. He figured, as a profiler, that part of the reason that Strauss was asking him to tell Reid was because she couldn't stand to do it herself. And, if Hotch was being honest with himself, he was nervous and not sure how his subordinate would react.

Hotch looked up from where he was staring at the ground and saw Reid walking out of the building; he and Morgan were walking the recently arrested UnSub to the local officers. What was his agent going to do when he found out?

"Yes, Ma'am," Hotch said. "I'll tell Reid and the rest of the team when we get back from the case."

"_Thank you, Aaron,"_ Was all Strauss said, a bit of worry leaking into her usually calm and strict voice.

Hotch was about to hang up when he suddenly spoke again. "Ma'am? Are you sure?" He asked.

"_Unfortunately, yes,"_ Strauss sighed. _"I'll talk with you when you get back to Quantico. You can tell me how things went with the rest of your team."_

Hotch said a quick goodbye and hung up his cellphone. How could this be happening? He'd thought for sure that this nightmare was over.

* * *

Hotch's palms were sweating as he and the team walked into the bullpen. He was uncharacteristically nervous. The whole way to the airport and the entire flight home he'd been thinking and trying to figure out how he was going to break the news. Though, the whole time he'd been trying to come up with a plan, his own worries kept pushing through.

Hotch was aware that Reid and the rest of the team were his first concern. But, the whole ordeal had always put him through a large amount of unhealthy stress. Though he'd never admit it, Hotch still occasionally woke up from a nightmare about what had happened.

The unit chief hadn't even realized that he'd gotten to his office until he stopped at the locked door. _Proves just how much I'm at work,_ Hotch thought.

Hotch took his key ring out of the pocket of his trademark black suit pants, and unlocked his office door. He reached his arm to the right and flipped on the light switch, and continued to sit down at his desk, putting his head in his hands with a sigh. A moment later, there was a knock on his door.

"Come in," Hotch answered.

The door opened to show Rossi standing the doorframe. He walked into the office and shut the door behind him.

"I just came to see how you're doing," Rossi told him. "You haven't looked too good ever since we arrested the UnSub, Hotch. The case wasn't that bad."

"I'm fine, Dave," Hotch replied a little too quickly. He knew before Rossi said anything that his answer wouldn't be accepted.

"Aaron," Dave said. "I'm a veteran profiler. And, I'm also your friend. I know when you are fine and when you're not."

"Could you…" Hotch started. "Could you get everybody in the briefing room?"

Rossi let a quick look of worry cross his face, but it was quickly pushed away, and he left with a nod.

Hotch took one more deep breath and stood, heading toward the door and exiting his office. He walked the short distance to the briefing room and saw that the team were all already gathered around the table.

"Hey, Hotch. What's goin' on?" Morgan asked with a bit of concern in his dark eyes.

"Uh," Hotch began. "I got some news earlier today, when we were just finishing up with the case."

Hotch looked around at the team as he spoke. He knew that they could tell that whatever Hotch was about to tell them wasn't going to be good‒ they were profilers for God's sake, ‒of course they would. He noticed the worry that had leaked onto their faces, the way their backs had straightened, how alert they looked at the moment.

"What happened?" Prentiss said slowly.

"Uh," Hotch started. _Just spit it out, _his mind snapped at him. "Nate Walker…" The unit chief saw how each team member immediately stiffened, how Reid's eyes grew wide and his breathing picked up a bit just at the name. _Say it. It's your job._ "He, uh, he escaped from prison today."

* * *

Reid knew that something was up as soon as Rossi told them all that Hotch needed them in the briefing room. At first, he'd thought it was another case; but no, the team would never be given a new case as soon as they walked through the bullpen doors; the case would've been given to another team.

So, his mind wandered to other possibilities and he quickly realized that every time they'd been called into the briefing room for an unknown reason, there was never any good news.

When Hotch finally came into the briefing room, looking uncharacteristically nervous and worried, Reid got even more anxious than before.

Then Hotch began to speak. "Uh," Hotch said. "I got some news earlier today, when we were just finishing up with the case."

Even though Reid knew that this wasn't going anywhere good, there was no preparing him for when the name that he'd worked so hard to forget was mentioned. "Nate Walker…" Reid could've sworn that his heart stopped for a moment and his eyes widened. _God, _he'd hoped he'd never have to hear that name ever again. "He, uh, he escaped from prison today."

In that moment, Reid felt all of the walls that he'd worked _so _hard to build back up, fall down. His breath stopped, and he could've sworn that his heart jumped right out of his chest; though the logical part of his brain knew that was impossible. _But, how? No, this couldn't be happening. This has got to be a joke, right? No, Hotch would never joke about something like this._ Reid couldn't keep his panicked thoughts straight as Hotch's words rang through his mind over, and over. But, no, he _wasn't_ going to be weak this time, and he quickly repaired tried to repair himself, knowing that he'd fail. So, with a deep breath, the youngest agent looked around the room at his teammates.

He saw the looks of shock run over their faces, and how they quickly tried to hide it. Reid couldn't pretend that he didn't see them occasionally glance his way out of the corners of their eyes. _God, how could this be happening?_

"_I'm not worth it."_ Reid's own words that he'd told his unit chief the last time they'd dealt with Nate passed through his head. His friends shouldn't be worrying about him; he wasn't worth it. _No, they're your family; of course they'll worry about you._

Rossi was the first team member to recover and speak. "How did this happen?"

"I'm not sure," Hotch told them. "I'm speaking with Strauss later tonight. I'll tell you when I know."

Reid was back to panicking. Nate was going to come after them‒_ or him_, ‒wasn't he? Reid couldn't think of another reason that Nate would risk trying to get out of jail. "He's coming after us, isn't he?" The young genius hadn't even realized he'd spoken aloud until the team turned to him.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. He's gotten his r-revenge," Hotch choked the word out. "But there's always the possibility," he said in a regretful tone.

"_You fascinate me, Spencer,"_ Nate's words flashed through Reid's head.

Morgan sighed. "We're going to have to take precautions."

"No protective custody," Reid said immediately. He didn't need to explain why; the team all remembered what had happened to Haley with startling clarity.

"We'll stay with each other," Hotch suggested. "We'll make sure we're not alone at all times."

Morgan turned to his youngest teammate, "I'll stay with you, Reid."

"No," Reid said firmly.

"What?" Morgan asked him, a bit of confusion in his eyes.

"In case he's after us again, I'm not letting any of you risk your life for me." _I'm not worth it._ "I'll be fine by myself. I'm not weak."

Hotch looked his agent in the eyes. "Reid, we're not suggesting that you're weak in any way. It's just safety protocol."

Reid let his emotions get the best of him; he really just needed a moment alone to stop, breathe, and think. "Yeah, well, screw protocol," Reid started walking. "I'll be fine on my own." With that, the young man left the room, a lone tear in his eye. _How could this be happening?_

* * *

**"Reid" and review, please. I hope enjoyed the first chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, everyone! I'm not as happy with this chapter as I'd like to be; I prefer the first chapter. But, I still hope you enjoy this! Thank you SO much for all of the reviews, favourites, and follows! I'm so glad that you are all enjoying this so far.**

**Again, the title of this story comes from the brilliant Graysonation. You all should seriously go check out her stories; they're wonderful.**

**Disclaimer: _Criminal Minds_ is unfortunately not mine.**

**Reviews are not required, only adored and appreciated.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Nate smiled as the lock on the door came undone. It wasn't that hard, really, to break a lock, especially the small simple lock that Spencer had. Nate found it strange, that the young _genius_ would allow such simple entry to his apartment; he was an agent, for God's sake. Nate shrugged and stood up, heading into Spencer's apartment.

He looked around and smiled; Spencer's apartment was spotless. Nate knew that he was neat-and-tidy young man, but not to this extent. It was probably for the best; he couldn't take the time to deal with a slob.

Nate stepped further into the small apartment and glanced from side to side. On his right, was a massive bookshelf, absolutely filled to the brim with books. There were also multiple large piles around the bookcase. Nate stepped over to the bookshelf to see some more of Spencer's interests. He saw a vast amount of books, all about different things and subjects. The thing that had Nate even more impressed was that he knew Spencer could read each of these books at lightning speed and remember each and every word.

He turned on his heel and walked into the kitchen area. The young man's kitchen was nearly empty, which wasn't very surprising to Nate; Spencer looked like he barely ate anything, anyway. But, Spencer sure did have a lot of coffee, and even more sugar.

Nate took a step back and looked down the short hallway; there were only two doors, one on the right and one on the left. Nate decided to go left and walked into the room. A grin went onto his face when he saw that it was Spencer's bedroom.

It wasn't surprising to see that the room was also extremely clean. Only one thing was left out: a lone article of clothing sitting on the bed. Nate approached the neatly made bed and picked up the dark blue shirt up off of it. Nate remembered when he'd taken off Spencer's shirt, and how he'd really just wanted to see what was underneath it. Sighing, Nate folded the previously unfolded, wrinkly shirt and placed it back on the bed. He wanted Spencer to know he'd been in here.

Nate had had a lot of time to think and sort out his thoughts in the past six months. He'd thought about many things… his father who he thought hadn't deserved to die; Agent Hotchner and his undying hate for the unit chief; his good-for-nothing mother whom he would never forgive; how the _Hell _he'd ended up in prison; and Spencer… he'd thought a lot about Spencer. Though, how could he not? Nate had found his mind wandering to thoughts of the young genius too many times for him to count.

Spencer… God, when he'd first seen him, he'd merely thought of him as a way to hurt Agent Hotchner. But, after spending time watching the boy, after studying the BAU, after being with Spencer for days, and after having the time to truly sort most of his feelings, Nate realized something: Spencer completely and utterly _fascinated _him. He had admittedly fallen for the young man, and it scared him dearly.

Though, Nate did care think he cared for Spencer, in his own little way of course.

Nate found it funny, really, how he'd probably analysed, studied, and _profiled_ the BAU team more than they'd analysed, studied, and profiled him.

Nate glanced down at his watch and sighed. He knew he should really get going; Spencer could be home soon. He exhaled deeply and pulled a previously written note out of his pocket, proceeding to place it on top of the shirt he'd folded earlier.

Nate then turned on his heel with a grin and headed out of the bedroom, and then out of Spencer's apartment, locking the door behind him. He couldn't _wait _to see Spencer again.

* * *

As soon as he left the briefing room, Reid quickly grabbed his messenger bag and left the bullpen immediately. He couldn't think straight, a feeling he could never get used to; he was _supposed_ to be a genius. But now, all he was was angry, upset, and goddamn _scared_. Yes, of course he was scared; any normal person would be. Though, Reid never considered himself particularly _normal._ But, he wasn't scared for himself, as much as the others. No, Reid was scared for his teammates, his family. He was sure that Nate would come after him or them, and he was scared for their safety, or what they would do if something happened to him. All Reid knew was that he sure as Hell didn't want to be weak this time.

Frustrated, Reid ran a shaky hand through his chestnut hair.

Reid had walked all the way to the subway station without even realizing it. He took a seat near the front of the subway and pulled out his iPhone and headphones. Maybe he just needed to _relax._ Reid saw that he had quite a few missed calls from each member of the team, including a vast amount of texts from Garcia. The young man sighed and quickly decided he would ignore them, for now, at least. He put his headphones in, turned up his preferred classical music and tried his best to block out the world around him.

* * *

"Hello, Spencer." Reid looked to his left and saw his elderly neighbour, Mrs. Flanders, smiling at him. Reid replied with a little wave, but the woman must have sensed his worry and gave him an uneasy look.

Reid continued down the hallway until he reached his door and unlocked it. He sighed and set his messenger bag down on his kitchen counter, and proceeded to his bedroom. He really just needed some rest.

The young genius entered the room and immediately stopped in his tracks, one of his hands coming up to cover his mouth. He had an eidetic memory, and he knew that his shirt had not been folded. And he _certainly_ knew that there had not been a note sitting on top of said shirt when he had last been there.

Reid cautiously started moving forward, toward his bed, toward the note. He carefully picked it up, already knowing without a doubt in his mind who it was from. He opened it, and it took only seconds for his eyes to read and his brain to register the words that were on the paper.

'_Spencer,_

_I've had a lot of time to think over the past six months. Most of my thoughts were on you, though. I'm not done with you, I can promise you that. Oh, and if you tell anybody about this, believe me when I say you'll regret it. See you soon, Spence._

_-Nate'_

Reid's hand shook as he read the note over and over again. His breathing picked up, and feared he may start hyperventilating. _This cannot be happening, _he told himself. If only he could believe that. With a rare cry of frustration, Reid threw the note across the room.

At the same time, he heard a loud bang on his door.

* * *

**"Reid" and review, please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, everyone! Sorry about the delay in posting chapters; I've had WAY to many musical rehearsals lately. I also haven't read through this too well, so I hope it's all right. Thank you all so much for the reviews, favourites, and follows. They seriously mean so much to me, and motivate me to write this story.**

**The title of this story comes from the fantastic Graysonation. Go check out her brilliant stories!**

**Disclaimer- I do not own, nor probably never will own Criminal Minds.**

**Reviews are appreciated and adored, but not necessary.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Come on, Reid! Open the door! I know you're in there."

_Of course, _Reid thought. _Of course it would be Morgan. _He'd known the team would send somebody sooner or later… he'd figured the former because of the current predicament. Plus, he _had _decided to ignore all of their texts and calls.

Trying and failing to shake his fear over this entire situation, Reid quickly folded the small note and placed it into his back pocket.

"Reid, open the damn door!" He heard Morgan shout, and he left his bedroom, heading to the front door.

"What, Morgan?" Reid said exasperatedly as he unlocked the door and looked into his friend's worried and somewhat impatient face.

"Reid, you had us all worried," Morgan said as he stepped into Reid's apartment. Reid sighed and shut the door behind his colleague, hastily locking the door. "Why didn't you answer your phone?"

"Sometimes, Morgan, I like just a _little_ bit of privacy. I don't seem to get enough of it with you guys constantly treating me like I'm a child." Morgan looked slightly offended at that, but Reid continued, "Plus, would you have not come to check on me, anyway?"

Morgan sighed and looked at the man he considered his younger brother. "Reid, you have to understand that we're worried about you. I know what you went through last time."

A spark of uncharacteristic anger sparked in the genius' eyes for a second before disappearing. "Morgan," He said calmly. "You don't understand everything that I went through last time. And, don't say I struggled; I know I did."

"Okay, Reid," Morgan replied, not knowing what to say. "You know… the team wants somebody to stay with you."

"Fine. I'll take the couch." Reid figured Morgan simply thought it was his usually hospitality, but, really, he didn't know if he could sleep in his bedroom that night, knowing for sure that Nate had spent some time in there.

"Reid, man, it's your place; I'll take the couch," Morgan immediately.

"No," Reid said, more firmly this time. "I'll take the couch."

"Alright, kid. Just let me know if you change your mind," Morgan said as he glanced at the clock hanging on the wall; ten-thirty, the clock read. "It's pretty late."

Reid nodded. "I really just want to go to bed."

Morgan gave him a sad look, "Alright, kid."

* * *

Reid sat at his desk in the bullpen. He and Morgan had left his apartment, and had arrived about an hour earlier. He'd actually been disappointed to find out that there was no case; he seriously needed the distraction.

He'd also found something else that morning: there were still no known whereabouts of Nate.

Reid ran his hand through his hair, which was still damp from his shower earlier that morning. He really did not know how much longer he could handle this dress. All he could think about were the events that had happened last time.

…

_I wake up and immediately panic when I find that I am unable to move my arms._

'_This must be a dream,' I think. This couldn't be happening again._

_The entire room I am in is made of concrete, and I'm in the middle of it, handcuffed to a chair. This position reminds me too much a Tobias and I begin to panic ever further._

_I feel my breathing quicken as the door across from me opens to reveal the same man that I vaguely remember from earlier._

…

Reid snapped himself out of the terrible memory. He shuddered; God, he didn't think he'd ever get the memory of the first time he'd truly seen Nate out of his mind.

"Hey, Reid." The young man quickly looked up to see Prentiss standing over his desk, looking at him with concern in her eyes. "Are you alright? You looked a little out of it for a moment there."

Agitated, Reid replied, "Yeah, well, I have reason."

Prentiss raised her eyebrows a bit at the genius' annoyed tone. "Okay, I was just checking on you," she said, and started to walk away.

Reid stood, and touched her shoulder. "Emily, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to snap like that. I'm just stressed out, that's all."

"It's fine, Reid," Prentiss replied and offered him a small smile and continued on her way back to her desk.

He returned the smile after she'd gone, though it didn't reach his eyes. Deciding that he really just needed a break, Reid walked away from his desk, and up the tiny set of stairs, heading toward Hotch's office.

Tentatively, he brought his hand up and knocked quietly on the door.

"Come in," came the reply.

Reid quietly opened the door. "H-hey, Hotch," Reid greeted, and Hotch looked up. "I was wondering if I could take my break early?"

Dark, understanding eyes stared back at him. "Sure, be back in an hour." Before Hotch had even finished speaking, the door was shut again and Reid was gone.

* * *

Reid couldn't stop fidgeting as he walked down the street. He felt like someone was watching him… well, not someone… Nate. He knew that he was being irrational, Nate probably wasn't right there, but his fear was understandable… to others, at least. Reid would try to be as brave as possible this time around; though, he knew he was already messing that notion up. He seriously just needed his caffeine right now, or just the sugar, more or less.

He walked into his favourite coffee shop, and took a place in line. Reid couldn't stop glancing around as the people in front of him ordered.

"Hey, Spencer," Rachael, the cashier greeted. The employees here knew him well, probably from his abnormal daily intake of coffee. "The usual?"

The young man looked up and gave her one of his usual little waves. "Yeah, thanks," Reid replied, handing her a five dollar bill.

Rachael, in turn, handed him his usual extra-large coffee.

Reid started to move away from the cash register to go put the sugar in his coffee when, suddenly, a hand grabbed his arm.

* * *

**"Reid" and review, please.**

**Was that a cliffhanger? Meh, I don't know.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, everyone! Sorry for the delay in updating; I've kind of been having a week of Doctor Who obsession with the 50th anniversary and all. Thank you all SO much for each and every review, favourite, and follow of the story. They seriously mean so much to me, and really help me when I'm trying to figure out a chapter. So, yeah, I think that this chapter would have to be my favourite so far, so, hopefully, you all enjoy it.**

**The title of this story comes from the fantastic Graysonation. Go check out her brilliant stories!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own _Criminal Minds_; I just like to mess with the characters.**

**Reviews aren't required, just appreciated and adored.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Oh! Spencer, you forgot your change."

Reid let out a huge sigh of relief when he heard Rachael call after him, and let go of his wrist.

"Sorry," she said, and blushed a little when he turned around. "It looked like I scared you a little bit."

Reid tried to offer her a small smile, but he presumed that he'd failed at it. _See, even a young girl who you barely know can see that you're scared to death. You have __**got**__ to get yourself together. _"I'm fine, Rachael. Thanks," the young man said as she handed him his previously forgotten change. "Have a nice day."

Reid swiftly turned after that, before the cashier could even utter a goodbye; he missed the worried frown that she had on her face as the next annoyed-looking customer approached the cash.

The jittery genius quickly exited the coffee shop, and walked out onto the sidewalk. He set a brisk pace, and started heading back toward work. His hands were shaking, and a bit of his coffee spilled onto his arm.

Reid did a silent curse, and ran a hand through his hair. He lifted the coffee up to his mouth, and swallowed the bitter liquid. _Damn, forgot the sugar,_ he remembered.

The agent suddenly turned his head and looked behind him, only to find normal people behind him, nobody he knew, nobody who would try to come after him.

Dear _God, _he could _not_ stop looking and glancing around. Why was it so hard for him to not turn his head anxiously, seeing if there was anybody after him? _Probably because there is an escaped convict who is apparently after you again, judging from the letter he'd left for you when he broke into your apartment._

He bit his lip, and looked up. He'd gotten back to work in a couple of minutes, which had felt like a couple of ages.

Reid sighed and walked through the glass doors into the bullpen. He saw Morgan and Prentiss look up from their desks, with worried expressions. Why did they have to be so worried about him? He was not a kid! He could take care of himself perfectly fine. _Yeah, right, that's why every time you try to sleep, you wake up crying from nightmares._

Reid bit his lip, and sat down at his desk, annoyed; he set the coffee cup down on the desk harder than he had to, and little waves of coffee spilled out over the edges of the cup, onto his desk.

He didn't know how much longer he could keep this whole charade up. The young man couldn't handle all of these emotions hitting him at once; they were really wearing him down. Reid was terrified, honestly. He didn't want to be, but he couldn't help it. But, that didn't mean that he would showcase his fear in front of his team, his family. This ordeal‒ of _only_ three days, so far‒ was beginning to be too much to bear.

Reid drew himself away from his thoughts as Morgan stood next to his desk, a piece of paper towel in his hand. The older man began to clean up the bit of coffee that Reid had spilled, and looked down at his best friend.

"I can clean up my own mess, Morgan," Reid said, in the uncharacteristically annoyed tone of voice that he'd seemed to grow accustomed to these past couple of days. He hated it, treating his friends almost as if this was their faults. He didn't want to act like he was mad at them‒ he wasn't mad at them‒, but, he couldn't seem to help it, and get control of his emotions.

"It looked like you were thinking, man," Morgan replied, leaning against his colleague's desk. "Are you alright?"

Reid sighed. "You already know the answer to that question, Morgan."

"I'm worried, Reid. We all are. We're your family, and you need to open up more-"

Morgan was stopped mid-sentence by Reid. "And I'm already letting you stay with me Morgan; that's enough _opening up_ for me. I really need to work now, if you wouldn't mind."

"Fine, Reid," Morgan sighed, running a hand over his head. "But, if you need to talk, you know where to find me," he finished, and walked away, heading back over to his desk.

* * *

Though Reid said he needed to work, nothing of the sort happened. At first, he'd tried to focus on the case files he had on his desk. He knew he could finish them quickly; being able to read twenty-thousand words a minute certainly helped with that.

But, after nearly an hour of trying to get through one file, he'd set them aside. Reid had gone over to the small kitchen three times, and had continuingly paced the bullpen floor, desperate for a distraction of any kind.

Then, with about two hours left before the team was able to go home, Hotch had virtually forced him to take the rest of the day off. Reid had protested, at first, but had eventually agreed, and left.

Now, after a long, nerve-wracking subway ride, Reid stood outside of his apartment door, fiddling with his keys, eventually getting the door unlocked.

The young genius yawned, his large hazel eyes closing for a moment. God, he really just needed to sleep.

Not even having the energy to look around his apartment, Reid set down his tan messenger bag, and took off his black converse high-tops, going straight toward the couch and laying down.

In a matter of moments, he was fast asleep.

…

_All I could focus on was Nate walking toward me; Hotch's protests were a faint beat in the background._

"_Why are you crying, Spencer? Why are you __**always**__ crying?" Nate said as he got closer to me. "You need to stop acting like a baby._"_ The words really hurt me, and I knew they were true, even though I couldn't help it. Nate stopped right in front of me, and bent down so that we were face to face. "You haven't seen anything yet."_

_Then, he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine._

…

Reid woke up gasping for breath, and immediately felt the tears that had been running down his cheeks. He stood up and walked to the bathroom.

_God,_ _Nate was right,_ Reid thought miserably and let out a cry of anguish._ I am a baby._

He grabbed a facecloth and ran some water onto it, not waiting for it to warm. He scrubbed his mouth in an almost desperate manner, the nightmare still fresh in his mind.

After he deemed himself fit enough, Reid walked out of the bathroom and toward the kitchen; he needed some water.

The genius looked at the clock on his wall; 8:07pm, it read. Morgan would be back from work in a few minutes.

Reid turned toward the counter to get a glass out of the cupboard, and stopped short.

A letter was sitting on his kitchen counter, with his name right on the front of it.

* * *

**"Reid" and review, please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, everyone! Wow, this is, um... super late. Sorry! I was on vacation and at the theatre fixing up the final touches to a show. This is pretty short, but I've got a big plan for the next chapter. Thank you so much for all of the reviews, favourites, and follows! I seriously appreciate them!**

**The title comes from the fantastic Graysonation. Check her out!**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Criminal Minds.**

**Reviews are not required, but they are appreciated and adored.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Reid reached his shaking hand up and covered it over his mouth. He must've missed the later when he'd come in because of his haste to sleep. _Or,_ Reid thought with dread. _Nate could've come in here when you were passed out on your couch._

The young man shook his head trying to push the thought away. _No, you can't think like that, _Reid mentally chastised himself. He reached out and took the envelope into his hands. He took a moment to analyse the handwriting on the front of the letter. Yes, that was definitely the same writing as the last one.

Reid carefully opened the front of the envelope. He thought for a moment before he went any further. Should he open it? Nate could just be playing with him. _No, _his mind argued back._ You have to open it._ Reid considered this for a minute before deciding that it was probably worth checking. Maybe, if he was lucky, it would not even be from Nate at all. Then again, nobody would have been into his apartment except Morgan as he was staying with him, and his best friend didn't even call his by his first name.

The genius took a deep breath before taking a tentative glance inside. _Oh, God._ Already regretting having peered inside, though he knew he could not go back now, Reid reached in and grabbed what was inside.

A picture dropped from his hands onto the counter as if it were on fire. It was a photo of him at the coffee shop, just as Rachael had grabbed his wrist when he'd forgotten his change. He really did look scared.

Reid turned the picture around to find a caption on the back of it.

'_On edge yet, Spencer? Sure looks like it.'_

Reid's wide hazel eyes scanned the words over and over again, and his pale face got even whiter. The young man suddenly whirled in a semi-circle, looking around; he suddenly felt very exposed, like somebody was watching him.

He'd felt the same thing earlier when he'd gone to get coffee and had thought it was silly. Apparently, it wasn't seeing as Nate actually had been around. The bastard wasn't just playing with him; he was stalking Reid all over again. Only this time, he was an escaped convict and even more dangerous than before.

Suddenly the sound of jangling keys filled Reid's ears, and he began to panic. _Morgan._

The man had gotten the door open before the impulse to get the letter and picture away reached Reid. He was just in the middle of shoving the two papers into his pocket as Morgan entered the kitchen.

"Hey. What's that?" Morgan asked, motioning to Reid's hands fiddling with his back pocket.

For a moment, Reid actually considered telling Morgan. He could get help, he wouldn't have this secret on his chest, and, maybe, this whole ordeal could get a little bit easier for him. But no, he remembered Nate's threat on the earlier letter, and the idea fled his mind immediately. He wasn't going to let his family get any more involved in this.

"I- It's nothing," Reid settled on and brought his hands in front of his and twiddled his thumbs nervously, hoping that Morgan would buy it.

The other man searched his face, giving him an odd, disbelieving look, before shrugging and saying, "Okay, Reid. But if you need to talk to me, just know that you can."

Reid nodded. "I know," he said and turned around. He'd never gotten that glass of water, and now it was even more much-needed.

He reached up and opened the cupboard; he selected a large glass and bringing it down, shutting the cupboard back up.

"So, how was the rest of work?" Reid asked casually as he walked over to the fridge and opened it, pulling out a large jug of water. _There is such a thing as being too casual, you know. He probably thinks you're still annoyed at him about earlier._

"It was fine, I guess. You only left a couple hours early, man," Morgan replied.

"You know I don't like to miss any time." It was true. The only time Reid ever took time off was when he wasn't fit for the job, like when he'd contracted Anthrax. And when he was forced to take time off, he did it begrudgingly.

"I know," Morgan chuckled.

"Listen," Reid began hesitantly. "About earlier… I didn't mean to snap at you like I did. You were just checking on me, and this is just… God, it's hard."

Morgan nodded. "It's fine, Reid. You know that I don't blame you. Just… please, if you need to talk, tell me."

Reid ran a hand through his hair. "I know," he said, taking a sip of his water. "Thanks. I'm going to go get a shower."

"Alright," Morgan said. "I'll be watching TV."

Reid nodded and started walking down the hallway, Morgan heading into the living room. He couldn't stop looking behind his back as he made his way into the bathroom.

Was a normal person like this? Reid knew he wasn't normal, but seriously? He felt like he was losing his mind, and that scared him a lot for more than one reason.

Reid sighed. He really just needed to _relax_.

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**"Reid" and review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, everyone. I am so, so, so very sorry for the lack of update. All the busy-ness of Christmas left me without time (along with all the Doctor Who and Sherlock events). And, eh, this chapter is fairly short... okay, really short, but I liked where I left it off. I already have half of the next chapter written, so, it shouldn't take ages for me to post... hopefully, that is.**

**Thank you all SO much for each and every review, favourite, and follow. They encourage me to continue with this story.**

**The title comes from the brilliant Graysonation. Go check out her stories!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own _Criminal_ _Minds_.**

**Reviews are not required, but appreciated and adored.**

**Enjoy!**

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As soon as Reid got into the bathroom he leaned over the edge of the white, smooth tub and turned on only the hot tap, boiling water spewing from the shower head.

He sighed and stood straight again, turning and facing the small mirror above his sink.

Reid ran a hand through his hair as he saw his reflection. God, he looked so stressed out. Some sweat lined his forehead; his eyes had circles that were darker than usual surrounding them; he looked constantly agitated.

And, why was he telling himself to relax, for God's sake! Surely, if a wanted criminal was stalking somebody, they'd be worried, at least.

Reid sighed once again. He seriously wanted‒ no, needed‒ to tell the team about Nate being in his apartment. They could help him, right. But, Nate's threat kept coming back to his mind.

'_Oh, and if you tell anybody about this, believe me when I say you'll regret it.'_

Reid shivered and began to undo the buttons on his purple dress shirt; he'd tossed the sweater vest earlier.

The young man stepped toward the shower when he was rid of all his clothes. He couldn't help but fold his arms over his chest in a self-conscious way; even alone he was insecure.

He involuntarily winced as he stepped into the shower. The water was obviously too hot. Though, Reid was not in the mood for caring; he needed the distraction. It didn't seem to be working. He just really needed a moment where he _not _think of Nate.

This psychopath was ruining and controlling his life all over again.

'_See you soon, Spence,'_ the letter had said. Reid couldn't help but believe it. If Nate was able to escape police custody, follow him, and not get caught, he _clearly _had enough skills to get to Reid once again. And that thought terrified him. He'd thought this whole ordeal had been over months ago. He'd finally gotten his life back only to have it ripped away from him once more.

"_You fascinate me, Spencer."_ The words he could not get out of his mind played again, and Reid rubbed at his head in frustration.

"_Spencer isn't complaining. I guess that means he liked it."_ Reid shook his head.

"_You probably wanted it,"_ he had said._ "You probably wanted the drugs, too."_

"No," Reid said, rubbing at his eyes. "I didn't want them. I didn't want them, you bastard!" He yelled and hit his hand on the shower wall. Tears formed in his eyes, but they'd yet to fall. Reid slowly sunk down to the floor and brought his knees to his chest and put his head in his hands. He finally let his tears fall, and he let out a choked sob, his tears blending in with the water. How could this be happening?

"_Reid!_" The genius heard Morgan shout from outside the door. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Reid said, though his voice was rough. "I'm fine."

"Alright…" Morgan sounded skeptical. "I'm gonna go grab us some dinner from Chinese place down the street. Is that all right?"

"Okay," Reid said back and stood. He craned his neck and listened; he relaxed a bit when he could hear retreating footsteps and door closing. He went to stand back under the water.

He took a deep breath and turned off the taps. Reid grabbed a gray towel and wrapped it around his thin waist.

When he stepped out of the shower, he once again looked at himself in the mirror. His current longish hair clung to the sides of his face and forehead, and he looked a significant amount less stressed than he had prior to the shower. _Maybe you should let out your emotions more often,_ Reid's mind told him. His eyes were now red rimmed with the dark circles already surrounding them.

Reid opened the bathroom door and headed just down the hall toward his bedroom. There, he dug plaid pajama pants and a standard FBI-issued black t-shirt out of his top dresser drawer.

He shut his bedroom door and dropped his towel, proceeding to put on his pajamas.

The genius righted his dirty clothes and put them in the laundry basket next to his door.

He opened his door again and started walking down the short hallway and into the living room.

Reid just turned the corner when he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening.

"Hey, Spencer."

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**"Reid" and review, please.**

**I was super nervous about this chapter, but I did really writing all the angst.**


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